Between the likes of Limbo and the return of Another World, the atmospheric side-scroller is certainly seeing a comeback. Studio Other Ocean has decided to take the HG Wells classic The War of the Worlds in that direction on Xbox Live Arcade, which sees a man attempt to survive an alien invasion while searching for his family.

We chat to head of development Mike Mika about how to create atmosphere in such a genre and what it was like to work with Patrick Stewart on the project.

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Why make The War of the Worlds a side-scrolling title? What are the advantages of a side-on viewpoint?
"We're big fans of classic 2D platformers, and we had just finished up a game called Dark Void Zero and really enjoyed working in that format. When we were told we could pretty much do whatever we wanted to with War of the Worlds, we immediately proposed going 2D. We even toyed with the idea of doing it in 16bit, as if it were made for the Genesis or the Amiga."

Flashback and Another World have been cited as inspirations for the project - in what ways?
"We really enjoyed the process that went into making those games. The rotoscoped
animation, where they filmed the actions of the characters with a camera and drew over them, gave the animation a unique personality and flow. It definitely stood out to us. We wanted to do the same process in hopes of getting close to that look. We also enjoyed how cinematic those games were and how they achieved that with very little. Our game would be pretty small as well."

Other Ocean has worked on a number of critically-acclaimed side-scrolling titles, such as Dark Void Zero. How have these prepared you for the game?
"We've all worked on platformers for most of our careers, going back to the Commodore 64 and Amiga. Every time we get the chance to work on one, the whole process is nostalgic for us. We enjoy making these games as much as playing them."

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How close does it stick to the story in the HG Wells original? Have you taken any inspiration from radio plays or movies?
"We started with the original book, with the idea that our game would be more of a sister
story to the 1953 movie by George Pal. We wanted to revisit a lot of the more terrifying elements of the book, like the black smoke and the human harvesting. We also felt strongly that turning the original story into a game would be near impossible.

"We enlisted Christopher Fowler, a fantastic novelist from the UK with a penchant for exacting detail. Since we wanted to return the story to London, we wanted the kind of authenticity that Christopher Fowler is renowned for. It also helps that he has a very similar narrative voice to HG Wells."

How are the invading Martians interpreted in the game, and how does the player encounter and interact with them?
"The story is about a man trying to find the ones he loves while the invasion is happening all around him. He does what any human being would do: try to stay as far away from the Martians until there is no other option. He's trying to survive.

"We tried really hard to build a sense of presence without showing too much. Kind of like the shark in Jaws. Sometimes what you don't see is scarier than what you do see. When you do see more of the Martians, it's more meaningful."

A key part of The War of the Worlds is the tension and atmosphere during the invasion - how have you captured that in-game?
"We deliberately tried to build in a distinct cadence to the pace of the game. We have purely action moments and then quiet, empty moments, with the sounds of war always off in the distance. At any point, you can hear or see the effects of the invasion.

"Haunting radios, or cries and other sounds and visuals do a lot to recreate that sense of desperation and hopelessness of the book. At any moment, a building can come crashing down or black smoke can be dispersed nearby, and you really feel like you have nothing you can do to stop it."

Patrick Stewart has been announced as the narrator. What specific role does he play throughout the course of the game?
"He is the voice of our main character, Arthur. He's returning to London to be with his fiancé and brother Ben when the invasion begins. He narrates the game, recounting the three worst days of his life, and brings so much to the character and story that we could not get into the game."

Why choose Stewart, and what was he like to work with?
"He was our first choice, really. When we decided to bring the story back to London, we wanted to find a voice actor that could bring the kind of drama to the story that Orson Welles did, but make it actually personal. I've heard his MacBeth, and well… we were all huge Star Trek fans, so it was a dream casting for us.

"It turns out, though, that he was a very big fan of the 1953 movie, and would re-enact and memorize the lines from that film with his brother when they were young. He knew the story very well, and he knew the locations very well. He brought a lot of input to the game by simply editing the script with our writer Christopher Fowler on the fly."

Finally, The War of the Worlds has been confirmed for digital download on consoles. Are there plans for PC, Mac or iOS releases?
"We haven't announced anything yet, but those platforms would be a great home for our game, we think."

The War of the Worlds is available now on Xbox Live Arcade for 800 Microsoft Points (£6.80 / $10).